Essay Sample on Men's Desire for Freedom

The adventure of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a novel that uses its characters in the presentation of various themes. Such themes that are notable and conspicuous in the novel are men's desire for freedom, the hypocritical nature of society, the dehumanization of slaves, as well as Twain's criticism of religion and superstition. In the paper at hand, the focus is made on the theme of'' men's desire for freedom.'' It can be established that people always like to be free of unnecessary regulations form external forces and, more particularly the ones posing severe consequences when infringed upon. In the novel the adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, there is the use of such characters as Huckleberry, also known as Huck Jim, Widow Douglas, Tom, Miss Watson, and Pap to illustrate the desire by men for freedom.

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First, there is the depiction of men's desire for freedom in the actions of Huck as he escapes the guardianship of Widow Douglas. Such is observed in Missouri, as the story begins in the region of fictional Saint Petersburg around forty years ago. In such a case, there existed Huck and his friend Tom Sawyer, who has managed to obtain a considerable sum of money following their previous lucrative adventures. In the process, using his vernacular English language, Huck explains how he has been placed under Widow Douglas to be his guardian. However, Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson, are making attempts to ''sivilize' him alongside teaching him religion, as seen in ''...to sivilise the boy...'' (82, Pitts, Mrs). It, however, turns out that Huck finds civilized life quite confining, with the potential clipping off his freedom. Subsequently, he plans to escape as helped by his friend Tom Sawyer on one night past Jim to meet Tom's gang of 'robbers' who are self-proclaimed. In reference to Tom, it is stated that ''...the best fighter and the smartest kind...'' (24, Pitts, Mrs) He escaped Widow Douglas to get a chance of being free from the civilization that he considers unsuitable to him as it prevents him from participating in other life activities. Therefore, it can be observed, from the escaping actions of Huck, that men desire freedom.

The theme of men's'' desire for freedom'' is also depicted when Huck and Jim escaped from their uncomfortable situations. It turns out that Huck escaped his father, and Jim escapes Miss Watson, his master. Starting with the escape of Huck from his father, Pap, it turns out that Papa was a violent alcoholic who had kidnapped Huck from their home town, and forcibly moved him to his isolated cabin hidden in the woods, along the shoreline of Illinois (Pitts, Mrs, 28). In reference to Pap, it is stated that ''...Pap took the jug, and said he had enough Whisky...'' (30, Pitts, Mrs). In such a case, Huck had been imprisoned inside the cabin and had no freedom of any level of moving around and interacting with his peers. Thus, he was not comfortable in the process. He hatched out a plan to escape when his father was absent. It reached a time when his plan was now maturing, and his father was away, where he could then fake his death with a view to escaping. He managed to escape from the cabin. He then set off downriver. In the end, he found solace in Jackson's Island, where he was now free to form the imprisonment by his father, alongside his violent behaviors. It emerged that he also met Jim, the black American, who had escaped his master, Miss Watson. Jim had overheard Miss Watson claiming he would sell him to more brutal slave owners located '' down the river.'' Since he did not like the idea of serving more brutal masters, as his level of freedom was at risk of being brought down into nonexistence, he thought of and preferred the idea of escaping to freedom, hence making him meet Huck, the escapee, in Jackson's Island, observed in ''...will be selling him down the river...'' (128, Pitts, Mrs.). It is then that they were freer than before, and could undertake many activities together with no close supervision or even dictates from anybody. It can also be established that as Jim planned to escape from the hands of Miss Watson, he had laid down the need to run away to Cairo in Illinois, the Free State, with the intention of later on buying the freedom of the rest of his family that had been enslaved (Pitts, Mrs, 42). As their lives went by together, it appeared that Huck and Jim had obtained the freedom they yearned for. Jim became the guardian to Huck. At some point, there occurred heavy flooding that eventually ceased in the river and paved the way for both Huck and Jim found a raft, and they kept it, alongside a house floating on the river. Thus, they lived their lives away from unnecessary controls from external parties, enjoying the freedom they had been looking for. Therefore, from the above explanations of the escape by both Huck and Jim, it can be well concluded that men desire for freedom.

There is also Buck's older sister, who eloped with a son from Shepherdson clan. In such a case, it turns it that Kentucky, there existed two families: the Grangerfords, an aristocratic family, and the Shepherdson. They had been engaged in a feud for the last 30 years, as statted in the novel that ''...the 30-year long standoff between the families deeply seers...'' (216, Pitts, Mrs). It is in disregard of the fact that they sued to attend the same church that preached brotherly love, ironically. Thus, due to vendetta, the two lovers escaped to a secret place where they could engage their marriage together, away from the feuds that existed between their families back at their homeland. Therefore, they needed freedom, and they escaped to a remote area to obtain it, further ratification that men desire from freedom.

In conclusion, as observed in the case examples above from the novel the adventures of huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, men desire for freedom. They are seen when Huck escapes his guardian Widow Douglas and his father Pap; Jim escapes his master Miss Watson and the lovers from antagonizing families Grangerson and Sheperdson escape for their freedom of peaceful marriage. Thus, it can safely be concluded that men desire for freedom.

Works Cited

Pitts, Mrs. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain." (1950)